If you're considering varicocelectomy (varicocele surgery) to alleviate your varicocele symptoms and boost your fertility, it's important to be fully informed about the potential drawbacks of the surgery. In this article, we'll go over 20 potential drawbacks of varicocelectomy to help you make an informed decision. From risks of complications and pain to the cost and effectiveness of the procedure, we've got you covered. Keep reading to learn more!

1. Risk of hydrococele formation: Surgery causes localized inflammation and may also impair re-uptake of fluids that contribute to hydrocele formation.

• A study published in The Journal of Urology found that hydrocele developed in 29.8% of men after varicocele surgery (N=79) https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5347(05)00402-7​

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2. Risk of persistent varicocele (recurrent varicocele): Varicocele surgery does not fix the root-cause of varicocele, causes localized inflammation,  and ligates/removes the swollen testicular veins--sparing only few veins to continue circulation. All of these increase the risk of varicocele re-developing after surgery. ​

• The rate of varicocele recurrence vary from 0% to 35%, depending on the technique: https://doi.org/10.4103%2F1008-682X.171578

3. Genitofemoral nerve injury: During surgical operation, there is always a risk of severing or damaging nerves. Genitofemoral nerve injury is common during varicocelectomy. This can cause cremaster muscle dysfunction and persistent neurogenic pain.

• A study published in Elsevier Urology found that 1% of men (N=46) had iatrogenic genitofemoral nerve injury from varicocelectomy: https://doi.org/10.1016/0090-4295(93)90269-G. These findings are consistent with other literature.

4. The NNT of varicocelectomy is 5.7! This means that 87% of men who undergo the knife do not attain a pregnancy benefit.

• A met-analysis released in the Elsevier Fertility and Sterilit  found that while varicocelectomy may be beneficial in some cases for pregnancy, that the overall Number Needed to Treat (NNT) is 5.7: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2006.12.008​​

5. Scarring at incision site: The procedure may result in scarring, which can be cosmetically unappealing.​

• https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2016.3757 & 
• https://doi.org/10.1097/cm9.0000000000002041

6. Results vary based on surgical skill & surgery type: Varicocelectomy treatment outcomes vary greatly based on the surgeon's skill, training type, and the surgerical method used.

• A meta-analysis in the journal of Adult Urology found the best treatment outcomes with microvaricocelectomy and microsurgery trained surgeons: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2004.06.060.
• Micro-surgery is the most effective treatment type: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2007.01.057​

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7. Persistent or new pain symptoms: Surgery may not be effective at alleviating varicocele pain. 

• Duration of pain prior to surgery is the biggest predictor of pain-resolution post-surgery: https://doi.org/10.1159/000338867
• Persistent pain was noted in 15.5 patients (N=58) doi.org/10.1089/089277902753619627

8. 90% "technical" success rate: 10% of cases, there is a technical failure where the surgeon cannot access, locate, or ligate the swollen testicular veins. 90% technical success rate does not mean that your symptoms are going to recover, heal, or alleviate. This does not mean that you will have a successful pregnancy.

• https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpurol.2021.12.013

9. General Anesthesia: Varicocelectomy requires the use of anesthesia, which carries its own risks and can cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, postoperative delirium, postoperative cognitive dysfunction, etc.

• https://doi.org/10.1097%2FMD.0000000000015383​​

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10. Cost: Varicocelectomy can be expensive, especially if you do not have insurance coverage or if you have a high deductible.

• $3,295 to $6,590 USD according to the Urology Annals doi.org/10.4103%2FUA.UA_48_20​

Looking for a non-invasive treatment for varicocele? Then natural treatments may be right for you.

Varicocele Natural Treatment:

• Varicocele underwear for healthy scrotal support & cooling
• Ciruclation support and vein-protective supplements
• Varicocele root-cause treatments
• Improve vein health & restore valve function
• Treat the Nutcracker Syndrome
• Varicocele-related lifestyle modifications
• Improve testicular and vein health

This means that you won't have to worry about the risks associated with surgery like bleeding, infection, hydrocele, or complications from anesthesia.

Home Treatment vs. Varicocele Surgery

• Home treatments are non-invasive and carry fewer risks than surgery
• Home treatments are budget-friendly and easier to incorporate into daily routine
• Depending on the case, home treatments may be more than surgery

Varicocele is swollen testicle veins. Simply, when blood pools and does not circulate well, it pressurizes the veins, enlarging them. These enlarged veins are called varicose veins. Varicose veins that affect the pampiniform veins of the plexus of the testicles is called varicocele.

The medical community sees varicocele as an ideopathic disease. This means that they do not know what causes it. I have found that they also really do not care to find out what causes varicocele to develop. 99.9% of scientific research on varicocele is on Varicocele Surgery or Embolization. Why not search for the root-cause?

Varicocele: What the Science Conveniently Ignores:

• Why not search for the root-cause of varicocele?
• Why not search for any correlated lifestyle, environmental, or physiological risk factors?
• Why not research management or prevention?
• Why not research any alternative to cutting or blocking the veins?

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We at Varicocele Healing see varicocele as a complex disease that is caused by a mixture of poor lifestyle, environmental toxicities, and pathophysiology. Our approach to varicocele treatment is not to cut out the veins, but to identify why they became swollen in the first place. We emphasize that the most important part of an effective treatment is accurate diagnosis. Once you diagnose the exact root-causes, then you can effectively follow treatment protocols for them.

Now, we do also recognize that varicocele is a disease in itself. Meaning that once varicocele develops, the toxic blood pooling damages the vein wall and vein valves. This means that varicocele makes itself worse over time. It is a positive-feedback loops disease. That is why varicocele is called a progressive disease that worsens with time. So, yes, we do 100% recognize the value of varicose vein and varicocele treatments for varicocele treatment.

85% of men with primary infertility have varicocele! This is why varicocele is called the number one cause of male infertility. However, unlike the medical community, we think that it is actually the other way around! It is Not that varicocele causes infertility. It is that poor lifestyle, environmental toxins, and pathophysiology manifest themselves as varicocele and infertility in the male body. Or, you could also say--manifestation of poor testicular and vein health is varicocele and infertility in the male body.

Varicocele is a progressive disease. Did you know that for every decade years of life, varicocele prevalence increases by 10% [1]? That means as we age, more and more of us develop varicoceles. By the age of 80, about 75 percent of men have varicocele! So, varicocele typically will not go away on its own and will likely worsen.

Only about half of varicocele cases are asymptomatic. So, about half of the time, you won't need to worry. However, as we age are varicocele severity increases, the odds of developing negative side-effects also goes up. So, if you just wait, you're taking an unecissary risk. All honesty, I don't believe in leaving my fertility and testosterone to the same odds as a coin flip. 

So, there are 3 real approaches to varicocele treatment right now:

1. Surgery
2. Embolization
3. Home treatments

We'll explore each in a little detail here.

Varicocele Surgery (Varicocelectomy)

So, it is important to note that varicocele surgery (varicocelectomy) is not a cure for varicocele. It is most accurately termed as an intervention. Varicocelectomy is an invasive operation that attemps to ligate the varicose veins of the scrotum. It is not a cure for the following reasons:

• On average the patient does not resume a normal healthy baseline post-operation
• Only 6-14% of those who undergo surgery attain a fertility benefit [2]
• Surgery is neither effective nor recommended for pain relief
• Cutting/ligating swollen veins is not curing them
• Surgical results are mixed and questionable
• Varicocelectomy is a high risk procedure
• A successful operation does not mean that you have recovered in terms of fertliity, pain or testosterone, but that the operation was simply completed the way it was intended

It is critical to make an informed decision when undergoing a high-risk operation that may result in permanent damage. Ask a lot of questions, get the full list of risks and benefits for your personal case.

Comprehensive analysis of costs and benefits of varicocele and embolization >

Percutaneous Embolization for Varicocele (Must Read!)

Embolization is like a sub-optimal and lower-resolution version of varicocelectomy. During varicocelectomy, the surgeon directly accesses and ligates the varicose veins of the scrotum. During embolization on the other hand, a radiologist typically enters the body though the right femoral vein and then with the aid of x-rays visualizes and blocks of general varicose vein regions.

It's not difficult to understand why surgery often has better outcome than embolization, and why would any man in their right mind want to live with coils in their testicular veins for the rest of their lives? You're also looking at a 10-30% chance of varicocele redeveloping after embolization (versus 1-15% for varicocelectomy).

Here is a blog completely dedicated to being against varicocele embolization, with hundreds of men sharing their reviews.
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​Comprehensive analysis of costs and benefits of varicocele and embolization >

Varicocele Home Treatment

Now, I think the best option for varicocele treatment is home treatments. Here is why:

• Idenfity and treat the root-cause of varicocele
• Safe treatments, with additional health benefits
• 8+ years track record for varicocele treatment, pain relief, and fertility improvement

Here is how home treatments work: 

• Make specific lifestyle changes
• Improve vein health & restore valve function
• Treat the Nutcracker Syndrome
• Correct scrotal sagging
• Varicocele specific treatments
• Improve testicular health
• Healthy scrotal support and compression
• Treat varicocele toxic blood pooling

We've gone through a ton of effort over the past almost decade now to build you the most effective home treatment program for varicocele. So far we have the following for varicocele natural treatment:

• Complete Treatment Program
• Varicocele Healing Guide
• Varicocele Pain Relief Guide
• ​Varicocele Health Kit
• Varicocele Health Kit II
• Varicocele Yoga Video Series (Exercise Videos)
• Fertility Support Kit
• Varico Probiotics
• STUD Underwear
• Recommended Products (Helpful, But Not Ours)​
• Consultation Calls & Support
• Personalized Treatment
• Nutrition Counselling
• ​Personal Training

So, no excuses! Get started with your home treatment now!

1. ​https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17683466/
2. http://www.ccf.org/ReproductiveResearchCenter/docs/agradoc236.pdf